Sam Sachdeva

Govt accused of breaching Paris climate deal after Willis rules out buying credits Analysis: Finance Minister Nicola Willis effectively confirmed New Zealand will not meet its 2030 climate target under the current Govt's policies.

Analysis: Finance Minister Nicola Willis effectively confirmed Tuesday that New Zealand will not meet its 2030 climate target under the Paris Agreement under the current Government’s policies.
newsroom.co.nz/2025/12/03/g...

Could Govt seek financial jackpot with Lotto privatisation? As the Prime Minister calls for a 'mature' conversation about asset sales, the national lottery may be in the Govt's sights – but is the coalition on board?

For many Kiwis, Saturday's record-breaking $55 million Powerball jackpot was an opportunity to dream big - but the Govt is after a financial windfall of its own, with ministers starting tentative discussions about a privatisation of Lotto. More @newsroom.co.nz here: newsroom.co.nz/2025/11/19/c...

Chris Bishop diverts Kāinga Ora money to fund a bridge in his electorate Officials warned against the use of housing funds for bridge building but Bishop says it was a “pragmatic choice”.

NEW: Chris Bishop used housing money to fund a bridge in his electorate his own Govt had killed off.

Officials were against the move and Labour say he shouldn’t have been anywhere near the decision.

www.thepost.co.nz/politics/360...

Labour selects Dr Gary Payinda for Whāngarei 17 November 2025 The Labour Party has selected emergency medicine specialist doctor Dr Gary Payinda as candidate for Whāngarei for 2026. “It’s an honour to be selected as Labour’s Whāngarei candidate,” Dr Gary Payinda said. “The work we are doing to provide every New Zealander with three free GP visits a year will be a game-changer in healthcare, helping people before their conditions worsen and they end up in hospital. It will prevent suffering, save lives, reduce pressure on our hospitals, and keep people healthier. “For nearly two decades, I’ve worked as an emergency doctor in Whangārei. I’ve raised my kids here, worked on the rescue helicopter, served on school boards, and as the national medical director for Surf Life Saving NZ. “It’s a privilege to live and work in Northland, but over the past two years I’ve watched the National Government drive inequity, undercut public health and make visiting the doctor more expensive and out of reach for many people. “I believe in equity for all and in the social good that Labour has always stood for – policies that benefit every New Zealander, regular Kiwis, the regular person, not just those at the top. “I understand how government policies and public services can literally transform lives. I am excited to stand as the Labour candidate for Whāngarei, and I am ready to represent the needs of our community in Parliament, with everything I’ve got,” Gary Payinda said.

Battle of the medical doctors in Whāngarei! Labour's selected emergency medicine specialist Dr Gary Payinda to take on Dr Shane Reti at next year's election

The unholy comrade of a cover-up: name suppression

The public almost missed out on learning of the police hierarchy’s cover-up of its disgraced deputy commissioner’s behaviour – because until the 11th hour the Crown wanted a permanent suppression order of his identity.

Decent shunt there! #eqnz

the united states government acknowledges but does not endorse new york city’s claim on staten island, a strategic ambiguity political scientists refer to as the One New York Policy

"My newest hobby is finding lines from The Simpsons that could pass for Morrissey song titles." I took this image from somewhere else and can't write all of these out on my phone, so if you're reading this because you need the alt-text, take the opportunity to brainstorm some good ones of your own.

oh my god

Christopher Luxon and Donald Trump meet one on one for the first time, ahead of an Apec leaders' dinner in Gyeongju, South Korea

$5b-plus blowout for eight Roads of National Significance The Government's 17 Roads of National Significance will cost it at least $44 billion – enough to rebuild Dunedin Hospital 23 times over. Marc Daalder reports.

New from me: Just eight of the Government's 17 Roads of National Significance have already seen costs blow out by $5.1 billion - before any shovels are even in the ground.

The full programme would cost $44-$54 billion on the latest numbers.
newsroom.co.nz/2025/10/23/5...

Parliament deluged by tsunami of submissions Almost half of the select committee submissions since 1996 have come in this term of Parliament – creating headaches for MPs and staff alike. Sam Sachdeva reports.

I wrote a (short!) piece in a newsletter for work about the use of generative AI to process and analyse submissions, sent it out, and then checked Newsroom only to see a (very good!) piece from @samsachdeva.bsky.social piece on the topic with more up-to-date numbers and a chat with the Clerk. #NZPOL

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD ***************** Investigation of: LOSS OF THE SUBMARINE TITAN IN THE NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN ON JUNE 18, 2023 * * * * * * Accident No.: *********** * * * * * * Interview of: Co-designer/Pilot Deepsea Challenger DCA23FM036 via Microsoft Teams Friday, July 26, 2024

INTERVIEW OF 10 BY LCDR 11 Q. So how did you get yourself started into submersible 12 operations? 13 A. Well, I'm sure you're familiar with my film Titanic. When I 14 set down the path to make that film, the first thing that I did 15 was arrange to be introduced to the head of the submersible 16 program at the P.P. Shirshov Institute in Moscow, a guy named 17| Professor I. I did that through a mutual friend 18 of ours, a guy named , who is one of the preeminent underwater cinematographers in the world. And had been on a 20 submersible expedition out to Titanic the previous year with the 21 Russians. And that was organized by a Canadian company that was 22 doing an IMAX film which was released under the title Titanica.

Learned that an anonymous outside expert on submersibles did an interview with the OceanGate Titan investigation, and they released a transcript, with all the names redacted. The first line of his first answer? "I'm sure you're familiar with my film Titanic."

'Slave master' to have some convictions quashed after solicitor-general bungle Procedural flaws from Crown Law have affected another high-profile case, Newsroom can reveal.

A New Zealand ‘slave master’ and human trafficker is set to have two of his convictions quashed, after being caught up in a procedural bungle from the solicitor-general’s office. More @newsroom.co.nz:

newsroom.co.nz/2025/10/16/s...

Missiles for milk: how Russia offered NZ military hardware to settle dairy bill Former PM Jim Bolger 'absolutely stunned' to be offered a nuclear sub and two MiGs in lieu of money, new book reveals

To me, Jim Bolger's legacy will always be how he prevented NZ from becoming a nuclear superpower by declining the offer of a nuclear submarine as payment for butter

www.theguardian.com/world/2013/o...

Climate minister admits new target may breach global 1.5C goal Climate Minister Simon Watts admitted the Government's new methane target may not be consistent with limiting global warming to 1.5C.

New: Climate Change Minister Simon Watts concedes the Government’s new methane target could result in outcomes not consistent with limiting global warming to 1.5C above preindustrial levels – a threshold mandated in New Zealand and international law.
newsroom.co.nz/2025/10/15/c...

Wild, wild swing!

The growing pains shaping a Canterbury mayoral race Selwyn's population is booming, and its economy is also holding up, so why is its three-term mayor facing a tough re-election battle?

In 2022, Selwyn mayor Sam Broughton won a third term with a 12,049-vote margin. Now, he's 11,341 votes behind mayor-elect Lydia Gliddon – pretty staggering change in fortunes.

Here's my pre-election @newsroom.co.nz piece on why Broughton was facing a tough battle: newsroom.co.nz/2025/10/06/t...

Well that's that then! Now you say it, I do vaguely recall the change

Could he try to run a 'Waihopai Ploughshares' (so to speak) defence? And what would the odds of success be? Slim to none, I would assume.

NZ must reject 'sham' Myanmar election, MPs say After meeting Myanmar's revolutionary groups and political prisoners, NZ politicians say we must offer more than 'nice words on paper'

Earlier this month Rachel Boyack, @teanau.bsky.social and I carried out a NZ MPs fact finding mission on Myanmar. Check @samsachdeva.bsky.social's story for a good summary. #NZMPsMyanmarFactFinding #Myanmar #SpringRevolution #ShamElection #whatishappeninginmyanmar newsroom.co.nz/2025/10/02/n...

The growing pains shaping a Canterbury mayoral race Selwyn's population is booming, and its economy is also holding up, so why is its three-term mayor facing a tough re-election battle?

Did a deep-ish dive on the race for the mayoralty in Canterbury's Selwyn district, which raises some interesting questions about how councils handle rapid growth, the rates debate, and the relationship between central and local govt. More here: newsroom.co.nz/2025/10/06/t...

OpenAI employees are very excited about how well their new AI tool can create fake videos of people doing crimes and have definitely thought through all the implications of this

Damp squib energy reforms reject 8 of 10 review recommendations Analysis: The Government's limited energy package doubles down on fossil fuels after a market review recommends privatising the gentailers

New: My analysis on the Government's just-announced energy reforms. The uninspired package doubles down on fossil fuels, after a major market review recommended privatising the gentailers.
newsroom.co.nz/2025/10/01/g...

I think the 'pragmatic' element (about which I hope the piece makes clear my feelings) is the argument that other countries recognising Palestine has made the situation in Gaza worse rather than better, and we're best to wait for some unknown time when the conditions for peace are better

challenge their govts' policy, it should say* - cf theguardian.com/politics/202... and en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...

Comment: A crucial part of New Zealand’s national identity – or myth, depending on your cynicism levels – is our history of moral leadership on the world stage. Whether on nuclear-free advocacy, the suffragette movement or the war in Iraq, we like to tell ourselves we are willing to put our head above the parapet on issues that affect our national conscience. Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ announcement that New Zealand will not yet support Palestinian statehood, splitting from the announcements made by Australia, the United Kingdom and a number of other close partners, at least technically maintains our claim to an independent foreign policy. But the coalition’s decision will leave a sour taste in the mouths of many New Zealanders, and a sense that pragmatism (bordering on cowardice) has trumped principle when it comes to the future of a territory that a United Nations commission has determined is being subjected to genocide.

From me this morning - Coalition’s Palestine cop-out puts pragmatism above principle: newsroom.co.nz/2025/09/28/c...

I can’t help but wonder how the officials at Mfat are feeling about the coalition’s decision on Palestine: we’ve seen officials in other countries their govts’ policy, and NZ is now a real outlier on the issue

Reserve Bank set to appoint first woman as governor, according to reports

What are Eve's financial credentials though?

NZ First 'agreed to disagree' on the China trade deal in 2008 too - and Winston was foreign minister at the time! Confidence and supply deal rather than coalition, but still.